Newspaper Page Text
Page 10, December 23, 2024, The Islander
In Memoriam
Laura Anne Ballenger Lyerly
Klews
silent mm
It was Christ
mas Eve in the
Austrian Alps.
At the newly con
structed Church
of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, a Ty
rol village near Salzburg, Father
Joseph Mohr prepared for the mid
night service. He was distraught be
cause the church organ was broken,
ruining prospects for that evening’s
carefully planned music. But Father
Joseph was about to learn that our
problems are God’s opportunities,
that the Lord causes all things to
work together for good to those who
love Him.
It came into Father Joseph’s mind
to write a new song, one that could
be sung without the organ. Hastily
he wrote the words “Silent night,
holy night, all is calm, all is bright
Taking the text to his organist,
Franz Gruber, he explained the situ
ation and asked Gruber to compose a
simple tune.
That night - December 24, 1818,
“Silent Night” was sung for the first
time as a duet accompanied by a gui
tar at the aptly named Church of St.
Nicholas in Oberdorf.
Weeks later, well-known organ
builder Karl Mauracher arrived
in Oberndorf to fix the organ in St.
Nicholas church. When Maurach
er finished, he stepped back to let
Gruber test the instrument. When
Gruber sat down, his fingers began
playing the simple melody he had
written for Mohr’s Christmas poem.
Deeply impressed, Mauracher
took copies of the music and words
of “Silent Night” back to his own
Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two
well-known families of singers — the
Rainers and the Strassers — heard
it. Captivated by “Silent Night,” both
groups put the new song into their
Christmas season repertoire.
The Strasser sisters spread the
carol across northern Europe. In
1834, they performed “Silent Night”
for King Frederick William IV of
Prussia. He liked it so much that he
ordered his cathedral choir to sing it
every Christmas Eve.
Twenty years after “Silent Night”
was written, the Rainers brought
the song to the United States, sing
ing the original German version at
New York City’s Trinity Church.
In 1863, nearly fifty years af
ter being sung in German, “Silent
Night” was translated into English
by either Jane Campbell or John
Young. Eight years later, that Eng
lish version made its way into print
in Charles Hutchins’ Sunday School
Hymnal. Today, the words of “Silent
Night” are sung around the world in
more than 300 languages.
Artists who have recorded it in
English include Bing Crosby, Elvis
Presley, and Mariah Carey. Bing
Crosby’s version is one of the best
selling singles of all time.
Without a broken organ, there
might never have been a “Silent
Night”.
City
Continued from Page 1
Fountain Package store premise had
been left in bad shape by the previ
ous tenants.
Patel told the commission that he
had gutted both sides of the build
ing, installed new electrical, a new
roof, new counters, ventilation. He
even showed before and after pic
tures to the commission.
Patel’s plans were to open the gro
cery store on one side and the liquor
store on the other side.
James Brooks handed a petition
to the commission with, he said, sig
natures of residents and businesses
who want Fountain Package back
on Norwich Street.
Brooks said, “Patel has made a
$300,000 investment here and the
city has spent nothing on Norwich
St.”
Mayor Johnson said he was wor
ried about the saturation of liquor,
beer and wine stores.
“I am concerned about the liquor,
beer, and wine profit model. You
need to look for another profit mod
el,” Johnson said.
Harris asked Patel how his store
would enhance the community.
Patel said he had donated $7,000
within the community over the past
five months: he handed out turkeys
at Thanksgiving; gave money for
cheerleader uniforms; had $3,000
available for Christmas giving and
$1,000 available for New Year’s giv
ing as well.
Patel said he planned to hire four
full time employees. The grocery
store would be open from 8 -11 p.m.
and the liquor store would open from
9 -11 p.m.
Before the vote Sabbe asked Pa
tel if he would consider closing the
liquor store drive through as well as
opening the liquor store at 11 a.m.
instead of 9 a.m.
Patel said he agreed with those
requests.
In other business:
• the commission approved the
Blight Tax ordinance which is part
of Chapter 12 Housing and Building
Regulations.
• the commission approved a
Memorandum of Understanding
with Glynn County relating to the
acquisition of the last small parcels
of property acquired for the College
Park drainage project.
• the commission approved an ad
ministrative award from the Geor
gia Dept, of Natural Resources for
$1.3 million. The award is for the
city’s purchase of the old Glynn Iron
property for $1.2 million.
The property will be used for wa
ter retention which will help miti
gate flooding in the surrounding
neighborhoods.
• the commission approved a res
olution pledging to practice and pro
mote civility in Brunswick.
• the commission recognized a
$10,000 grant from Georgia Power
for a computer room in the Howard
Coffin Park gym.
Laura Anne Ballenger Lyerly, age
97, of St. Simons Island, Georgia,
passed away of natural causes in her
home at Marsh’s Edge Retirement
Community on December 16, 2024.
A native of Concord, North Caroli
na, Anne moved to St. Simons Island
in 1992 upon retirement from The
Daily Independent in Kannapolis,
North Carolina where she was Direc
tor of Advertising.
On St. Simons, she was involved
with St. Simons Women’s Club and
Lord of Life Lutheran Church. She
enjoyed traveling, reading, sitting
near the lighthouse to watch the
ship traffic, and working crossword
puzzles.
Anne was predeceased by her
husband, John L. Lyerly, Jr. She is
survived by her daughters, Marilyn
Puett of Huntsville, Alabama and
Bev Latvala (Jerry) of St. Simons Is
land, a brother, William Ballenger,
of Raleigh, North Carolina in addi
tion to three grandsons and three
great-grandchildren.
Arrangements will be announced
at a later date.
St. Simons lost a dear and wonder
ful lady last week. I never saw Anne
without a smile; loved her sense of
humor and sometimes corny jokes. It
was an honor to call her friend. She
is missed.
R.I.P. Miss Anne.
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